While many folks out there are bemoaning the passage of Labor Day and the “unofficial” end of summer, I couldn’t be happier. Sorry to all you teachers and students who have returned to school, and those who like to bake in 90 degree heat, but I have my own selfish reasons for saying sayonara to summer which officially ended this week. Those who take their boat or surf fishing serious will understand.
For private boat anglers, the crush of summer boaters, water skiers, jet skiers and high powered performance boats all fade away as September wears on. So too do the long waits at launch ramps. Chilly, cloudy or rainy days are now more frequent and so much the better for keeping non-fishermen off the water. Sorry to those who have wedding plans – my wife and I were married in September but there was a method to my madness, which of course had to do with surf fishing and a Nantucket honeymoon.
September brings with it the onset of fall fishing. Some of the best bottom fishing of the season takes shape for porgies and sea bass, and the last days of the month continue to offer a chance for some of the biggest fluke of the year, barring brushes with tropical storms and hurricanes. And while we lose fluke with the close of the season on September 30, anticipation builds for the opening of blackfish season (October 11 in Long Island Sound and October 15 in New York Bight). If we can avoid offshore storms, the blue water crowd could find themselves knee deep in a good tuna bite, whether it be bigeyes at the edge, or bluefins on the jig or chunk. Striper fans will find the calendar relatively empty of tournaments this fall due to the pandemic, but they will still benefit from numerous options for targeting their favorite gamefish. Live-lining, chunking, trolling Mojos and bunker spoons, clam chumming, diamond jigging and casting plugs or jigs all come into play this time of year.
For surfcasters, the change is dramatic. There is no more battling traffic jams in your attempt to get to shore areas like Gateway, Green Island, Jones Beach, the Sore Thumb, Robert Moses, Smith Point and Montauk. And not only are beaches and parking lots crowded with bathers and sun worshipers a thing of the past as September closes, but beach access is also expanded dramatically. Piping plover closures are now just a bad memory. Parking at State Parks is expanded – Robert Moses Fields 3 and 4 became accessible to surf fishermen 24/7 beginning September 15. Fire Island National Seashore opened up to 4×4 traffic September 15 and permits have been available since September 1 for $50 payable online at Pay.gov. Permits must then be picked up at the FINS Welcome Center at Smith Point. Most town and county parking restrictions are relaxed for the fall, providing surfcasters with additional access and the mobility to follow the best fishing opportunities.
For casters those who like to compete, this fall will be very different. The Montauk and Jones Beach classics have been cancelled but the South Shore Classic is still in play and will take place October 23-25 out of Captree. Last I heard, the Babylon Autumn Surf Fishing Cup was also scheduled to take place. We will provide more info on that in upcoming issues.
Surf Fishermen benefit as much as anyone from cooler water temperatures that trigger the movement of baitfish like mullet, snappers, bay anchovies, herring and bunker along our Island’s beaches. As waters continue to cool, there is hope that sand eels will fill the surf line, providing a steady diet of reliable action for stripers and blues late into the first throes of winter. Northwest breezes bring with them cool, crisp blankets of air that revitalize the spirit and energize us for the fishing to come. Northeasters trigger feeding binges that inspire long lasting memories filled with bent rods and the satisfaction to last through the long winter nights ahead.
